The present invention relates to an automatic icemaker for use in household refrigerators, the icemaker being of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,163,017--Baker and U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,018--Shaw, issued Dec. 29, 1964. The icemaker comprises a mold including at least one ice cavity in which water is frozen to form an ice piece, ejecting means usually including a heater to slightly melt the ice piece and release it from the cavity, a pad normally positioned in the lower portion of the cavity and movable to a position above the top of the cavity for ejecting an ice piece from the cavity once the ice piece is released from the cavity and a pivoted sweep or rake actuable after the ice piece has been raised to its upper position for movement across the top of the mold cavity to remove the ice piece from the pad. The sweep means disclosed in the aforementioned patents rotates about a pivot axis above the cavity from a rearward or first position to one side of the cavity through an arcuate path outward to a second position above the cavity. The sweep is so designed that the ice engaging portion thereof clears the pad in its upper position.
Under some operating conditions of this type of icemaker, it has been found that on occasion when the sweep is to be returned from its outward position after sweeping the ice cubes from the mold there is encountered an object, such as a broken ice piece, etc., that obstructs its return to its rearward position. Heretofore the sweep has been mechanically moved or pivoted in both directions of rotation by a positive mechanical gear mechanism. With such an arrangement when the sweep's rearward movement is obstructed it is difficult to remove any object that is caught between the sweep and the mold which obstruction can cause the mechanism to be jammed and possibly damage the icemaker mechanism.
By this invention there is an arrangement that provides positive driven outward movement of the sweep necessary to remove the elevated ice pieces from the mold and during the rearward movement of the sweep back to its first position any object that may be blocking its path may be readily withdrawn and also jamming of the mechanism is prevented.